First Nations toxic drug deaths doubled during the pandemic in 2020

BC's First Nations Health Authority says Indigenous people accounted for nearly 15 per cent of all toxic drug deaths last year although they represent only 3.3 per cent of the province's total population.

Deputy chief medical officer Doctor Nel Wieman says 254 Indigenous people died from toxic drugs last year, a nearly 120 per cent increase from 2019.

She says the death rate began to rise after the COVID-19 pandemic was declared a public health emergency.

The pandemic has led to the closure of the border with the US, which officials say disrupted the usual flow of illicit drugs, prompting the wider use of more toxic substances.

First Nations Health Authority on Twitter:

First Nations Toxic Drug Deaths Doubled During the Pandemic in 2020: https://fnha.ca/about/news-and-events/news/first-nations-toxic-drug-deaths-doubled-during-the-pandemic-in-2020 #BCHC #HarmReduction